Beauty after the storm...

Friday morning my friend Jackie H. came by and off to Crystal Springs we went. It was drizzling here but flooded on us off and on...more on than off, all the way until we reached our destination. It had already rained there and was getting cooler by the second...but we were prepared! Umbrellas and jackets in hand....well, jackets on.

Destination......

I had never been to see the Botanical Garden, Jackie has gone for 4 yrs. After parking the truck we were met by our "taxi" to the garden.

We felt as if we were on a hay ride...without the hay. As soon as we got off there was beauty all around. Everywhere you looked. It was especially pretty because the rain had come and washed away any dust so the colors were gorgeous! We entered through an arch way of pretty vines...to a world of color.

This grass is my favorite by far. I've always liked it's delicate cascading waterfall look.

The rain drops made it look as if ice was glistening on it's leaves.

As we continued to walk around the garden, we ran into this fellow, sitting and taking in the view of it all.

Later we ran into his WHOLE family!

Next to them was a beautiful horn of plenty...

On the other side of the pond there were several types of these flowers/plants being sold.

Some of the roses were a little beat down from the rains, but others were renewed and GORGEOUS!

Different items were sold such as bottle trees made from rebar...

I was trying to figure out what this next one was, when the man said, "That's the peacock I made." I would have NEVER known it had he not told me. I guess with that in my head, I could see it....maybe :)

maybe you can see it a little more with a picture of its head...

I have to give the guy credit for uniqueness. This was a cute thing to do with a gourd (Barbara)...

Jackie and I ate lunch outside at picnic tables and we so much enjoyed it. There was a choice of BBQ plates, rib eye steak sandwiches, chicken strip plates, fried dill pickles, fresh fish plates...fish being fried as you waited, last but not least, homemade ice cream...but because of the cold weather not many were going for that.

We walked through the vegetable garden...

At the end of our garden trip we were able to check out a big line of old For trucks/cars..Model T's and etc.

In taking these pictures I made a new friend. Her name is Gracie and you could tell she loved her car.

She had her traveling bag and blanket with her...

Looked like a "Driving Ms. Daisy" scene : ) Isn't she a cutie?!!

After several hours, Jackie and I had walked and looked as much as we could, we boarded back on our "taxi" and back to the truck we went. What a fun day.

Remember, when storms enter our lives, to keep focused on what's on the other side because God will get you through and there's a blessing awaiting you. Just as Jackie and I traveled through the storms, we could have turned around, but had we, the beauty of God's creations, another blessing for us, would have been missed and today I'm even more happy just by enjoying the day with a friend, meeting a new "friend", and enjoying the beauty of it all. I've grown in another day with Christ.

Have a FOCUSING day with Christ!

God bless you....